Hippodamia glacialis glacialis (Fabricius, 1775) Hippodamia glacialis lecontei (Mulsant, 1850)[]
Arthropods (Arthropoda)----Insects (Insecta)----Beetles (Coleoptera)----Polyphaga----Cucjoidea----Ladybirds (Coccinellidae)----Coccinellinae----Hippodamia----H. glacialis----glacialis glacialis/ glacialis lecontei
A Glacial Ladybird found in a wasteland habitat in a field of Canada thistles.
August 18, 2009. All of these pictures are the same specimen.
The Glacial ladybird along with Hippodamia moesta, H. quinquesignata, H. caseyi and a few others are a very difficult group of ladybirds. Sometimes you may be lucky enough to use range to distinguish certain species but with some of those ladybirds their range is completely unknown because of the fact most can only be distinguished from the male genitalia (females do not help!) and because most are very secretive and hard to find as it is.
The only reason I am certain this is H. glacialis is because only H. glacialis and H.quinquesignata are known from Edmonton (the others are so far only known from the rockies) and the John Acorn mentions in his book "Ladybirds of Alberta" that "in the parkland region at least some 5-spots have white lines on the pronotum which the glacials lack (though they may have tiny spots in their place). Since this is the center of the parkland region I will move to H. glacialis." Since this was found in the center of the parkland region then I am more or less happy with calling it this species (though there is a probable 50/50 chance i'm wrong) or maybe its a new species that has remained undiscovered for centuries until the specimen is examined (it does happen).Sadly when trying to bring this ladybird back home a gust of wind blew it out of my hand and I was unable to rediscover it.